WEEK 12 - Creative Writing Follow Up
Marcus finally made the last left turn on his way home, and gently parked his Lexus into his driveway. Only five hours before Marcus had been wishing that this was where he could be. In his beautiful home with his angry girlfriend who would no doubt be annoyed at his ever increasing work load. But now that the time had arrived, Marcus was nervous that this next trip through the door way would be his last. Jennifer had been growing more and more tired of Marcus' late nights and even earlier mornings. God only knows how angry she would be as he walked in to a burnt dinner, an unbearably clean house and probably a drunken girlfriend. Marcus couldn't help but feel guilty, that it was his fault their relationship had deteriorated to this level. He had concentrated too much on his work, the damn Thompson deposition had required too much of his time. But Marcus knew that he couldn't continue to use work as an excuse for Jennifer’s loss of interest in him, or for his loss of interest in her for that matter. It was his fault that they had drifted apart and he had finally realized that fact while he was suffering in his office only a few hours before. Now was his chance, to at the very least, attempt to remedy his relationship problems, and finally do what his conscience told him to do. So as he opened his car door and stepped out of the Lexus which his work had paid for, he resolved to let go of his materialistic approach to life and to enjoy what he had longed for over the past year.
Marcus opened the door and yelled, “Jennifer, I'm sorry I'm late baby but I promise this is the last time it will happen”.
“Sure it will be”. Replied Jennifer, who had had enough of Marcus' constant, failed attempts to win her over when he arrived home late.
Marcus sighed and shook his head. “No really Jen, I have been thinking about it and I want to make a change. I miss you and want things to go back to how they were a year ago. When we were both happy and saw each other for more than a few minutes a night”.
Now it was Jennifer’s turn to sigh as she listened to an all too familiar rant. “You say this every month and then nothing changes at all. You get all worked up because you had a boring day and decide that you need a change. But you don't recognize that a change in your life means a change in my life”.
Marcus got angry and yelled, “What are you trying to say. Don't you want to see me more? Isn't me wanting to change for you a good thing”.
Jennifer diffused the situation by speaking in a calm tone, “Yes it is. Don't get me wrong, I want to see you too, but I have a job which I really enjoy and don't want you making any rash decisions”.
“What rash decisions would I make”? Yelled back Marcus, who was not at all calmed by Jennifer's attempts.
“Like wanting to move to a different city where we would both have to find new jobs, not to mention leaving behind all our friends and family”. This was the point when Jennifer began to get upset, even though she promised herself she would try to control her emotions. “Listen Marc, I know you love me and I know I love you but this just obviously is not working between us”.
Marcus couldn't stand any more, he knew this day would eventually arrive but he had hoped to ward it off with his promise to change. But it appeared that Jennifer had already decided it was over long before he walked through the doorway. Marcus pictured Jennifer gathering the courage to break up with him whilst he was in his Lexus thinking about how he was going to explain his tardiness. Marcus guessed that the Thompson deposition was the last straw in a relationship where she had largely been ignored.
Marcus asked her, “How long have you been planning this? Is this about me coming home late, because I told you that this will be that last time”.
“Ohh Marcus, this has been coming a long time. You barely even acknowledge my existence and that is when you are at home. When you're at work I bet it is like I don't exist”. Whispered Jennifer with with her eyes starting to well with the inevitable tears that were always a conclusion to their arguments. “This is better for both of us; we can take some time off and decide where this relationship needs to go. I'm not saying this is the end, but I definitely need some space. I need some time to think about my own needs”.
Marcus began to say something but stopped as he suddenly understood that this was an argument he would not and could not win. Jennifer had already made up her mind and her life didn't include him. At least not in the short term anyway. Maybe this was all for the better and Marcus would also benefit from this new situation. He could learn from himself, and how he dealt with being alone. Maybe this was the change that he needed and that he longed for. Marcus began to feel that Jennifer was right and that a separation was not necessarily the end of their relationship. Marcus realized that his life was finally changing and that it was for the better.
Marcus opened the door and yelled, “Jennifer, I'm sorry I'm late baby but I promise this is the last time it will happen”.
“Sure it will be”. Replied Jennifer, who had had enough of Marcus' constant, failed attempts to win her over when he arrived home late.
Marcus sighed and shook his head. “No really Jen, I have been thinking about it and I want to make a change. I miss you and want things to go back to how they were a year ago. When we were both happy and saw each other for more than a few minutes a night”.
Now it was Jennifer’s turn to sigh as she listened to an all too familiar rant. “You say this every month and then nothing changes at all. You get all worked up because you had a boring day and decide that you need a change. But you don't recognize that a change in your life means a change in my life”.
Marcus got angry and yelled, “What are you trying to say. Don't you want to see me more? Isn't me wanting to change for you a good thing”.
Jennifer diffused the situation by speaking in a calm tone, “Yes it is. Don't get me wrong, I want to see you too, but I have a job which I really enjoy and don't want you making any rash decisions”.
“What rash decisions would I make”? Yelled back Marcus, who was not at all calmed by Jennifer's attempts.
“Like wanting to move to a different city where we would both have to find new jobs, not to mention leaving behind all our friends and family”. This was the point when Jennifer began to get upset, even though she promised herself she would try to control her emotions. “Listen Marc, I know you love me and I know I love you but this just obviously is not working between us”.
Marcus couldn't stand any more, he knew this day would eventually arrive but he had hoped to ward it off with his promise to change. But it appeared that Jennifer had already decided it was over long before he walked through the doorway. Marcus pictured Jennifer gathering the courage to break up with him whilst he was in his Lexus thinking about how he was going to explain his tardiness. Marcus guessed that the Thompson deposition was the last straw in a relationship where she had largely been ignored.
Marcus asked her, “How long have you been planning this? Is this about me coming home late, because I told you that this will be that last time”.
“Ohh Marcus, this has been coming a long time. You barely even acknowledge my existence and that is when you are at home. When you're at work I bet it is like I don't exist”. Whispered Jennifer with with her eyes starting to well with the inevitable tears that were always a conclusion to their arguments. “This is better for both of us; we can take some time off and decide where this relationship needs to go. I'm not saying this is the end, but I definitely need some space. I need some time to think about my own needs”.
Marcus began to say something but stopped as he suddenly understood that this was an argument he would not and could not win. Jennifer had already made up her mind and her life didn't include him. At least not in the short term anyway. Maybe this was all for the better and Marcus would also benefit from this new situation. He could learn from himself, and how he dealt with being alone. Maybe this was the change that he needed and that he longed for. Marcus began to feel that Jennifer was right and that a separation was not necessarily the end of their relationship. Marcus realized that his life was finally changing and that it was for the better.